“We’re pleased to join Rep. Holt again in support of a Congressional resolution honoring Darwin’s contributions to science and humanity,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. “Too many people are being influenced by the dangerous creationism and so-called ‘intelligent design’ movements, and it’s time for others in Congress to stand up for true science.”

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the birth of Charles Darwin. Only rarely in human history has someone shown a fundamentally new way of thinking about the world and insight so revolutionary that it has made possible further creative and explanatory thinking.

In my previous field of physics, we have Galileo and Newton and Einstein. In biology, at the top of any list, would be Charles Darwin. Without his insights, without his recognition that natural selection enables ever-increasing complexity and functionality, and enables the development of ever more wonderful forms of life, our modern understanding of biology, ecology, genetics, medicine would be impossible. And our comprehension of the world around us would be vastly poorer.

I’ve introduced a resolution to honor February 12th as a ceremonial Darwin Day to recognize the importance of scientific thinking in our lives and to honor one of humankind’s greatest thinkers.